Brad Wing
refer to caption
Wing with the Giants in 2017
No. 3 – Pittsburgh Steelers
Position:Punter
Personal information
Born: (1991-01-27) 27 January 1991
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:204 lb (93 kg)
Career information
High school:Baton Rouge (LA) Parkview Baptist
College:LSU
Undrafted:2013
Career history
 * Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Roster status:Practice squad
Career highlights and awards
  • XFL punting average leader (2023)
  • First-team All-SEC (2011)
Career NFL statistics as of Week 5, 2023
Punts:336
Punting yards:15,028
Average punt:44.7
Inside 20:103
Player stats at NFL.com

Bradley Thomas Wing (born 27 January 1991) is an Australian professional American football punter for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2013. He played college football at LSU.

Wing achieved fame during several nationally televised games for his accuracy and leg strength in LSU's punting game. He was also the first college football player to be penalized under a new rule regarding on-field taunting during scoring plays.[1]

Early life

Wing was born in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. His parents are Kathi and David Wing. His father David tried out with the Detroit Lions, then punted professionally for the Scottish Claymores. Growing up, Wing played Australian rules football which he says has contributed to his ability to punt so accurately.[2] The younger Wing was cut from his TAC Cup club, the Sandringham Dragons, ending his Australian rules career.[3] At that time, family friends of the Wings in Baton Rouge, Louisiana offered to host him for his senior year of high school as part of a student exchange program while trying out American football punting.[2][3] He attended Parkview Baptist High School, where he was named All-State. During one of his football games, his mom, Kathi, coincidentally sat next to Les Miles' wife, Kathy. Kathy Miles said Wing played well and she would let Les Miles know to "keep him on the radar."[4] Wing then was notified that he was being recruited by LSU.[4] He eventually received a scholarship offer from LSU. Notably, he did not recognize LSU head coach Les Miles when the latter made his first visit to recruit him; he had to be told who Miles was.[3] His family moved to Baton Rouge during the 2011 season in order to be with him during his LSU career.[2]

College career

As a redshirt freshman, Wing averaged 43.0 yards per punt in 42 punts with a long of 73 yards through 12 games.[5] That same year, he landed 20 punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line.[3] In top-ranked LSU's 9–6 overtime win at Alabama in the 2011 season, Wing kicked a 73-yard punt, hitting a camera wire, forcing overtime.[6] Wing gained notoriety during a game against the Florida Gators by stretching his arms out during a fake punt play on his way to a 52-yard touchdown. Due to a new rule taking effect that season, Wing was flagged for taunting, and the touchdown was nullified.[7] Going into the BCS National Championship Game against Alabama, opponents had attempted to return Wing's punts only 17 times for a total of 6 yards.[8] During 2011 and 2012, Wing averaged 44.6 yards per punt, which is the highest in school history for a player with at least 100 punts. Wing was suspended from the 2012 Chick-fil-A Bowl for an "undisclosed violation of team rules."[9] However, in a podcast episode, Wing disclosed that he was asked to leave LSU for failing drug tests. The school did not state this publicly and instead cited "academic misconduct" and "violation of team rules" for Wing's leaving.[4]

On 4 January 2013, Wing announced that he would enter the 2013 NFL Draft.[9]

Professional career

Philadelphia Eagles

After Wing went undrafted in the 2013 NFL Draft, the Philadelphia Eagles signed him to compete with fellow former LSU punter Donnie Jones in training camp.[10][11]

Pittsburgh Steelers

In 2014, Wing signed a contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers to serve as the punter and holder for field goals and PATs. In the fourth quarter of a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, his punt went only 29 yards, giving the ball to the Buccaneers at the Steelers' 46-yard line with 40 seconds to go. The Buccaneers scored the game-winning touchdown a few plays later.[12]

In a game against the Baltimore Ravens on 2 November 2014, following a botched snap on the extra point for which Wing was the holder, he completed a pass to Matt Spaeth for a two-point conversion, and thus became the first Australian player in NFL history to score from a pass.[13]

New York Giants

On 4 September 2015, Wing was traded to the New York Giants for a seventh round draft pick. After the Giants acquired Wing from the Steelers, veteran punter Steve Weatherford was released the same day.[14] In 2015, he punted 76 times and had a 44.5-yard gross average and a 38.9-yard net average. 33 of his punts were downed inside the 20-yard line, which tied the Giants’ single-season record set by Brad Maynard in both 1997 and 1998.[15] On 11 July 2016, Wing signed a 3-year contract extension with the Giants. The extension was reportedly worth three years and $6.45 million.[16]

Wing earned NFC Special Teams Player of the Week for two weeks in a row. In Week 14 against the Dallas Cowboys, Wing pinned the Cowboys inside the 20-yard line five times and in Week 15 for booting seven punts averaging 40 yards downing two inside the 20-yard line.[17][18]

On 10 March 2018, Wing was released by the Giants.[19][20]

Memphis Express

In 2018, Wing signed with the Memphis Express of the AAF for the 2019 season.[21] He was waived on 27 February 2019.[22][23]

San Antonio Brahmas

Wing was selected with the 23rd pick in the Specialists Phase of the 2023 XFL Draft by the San Antonio Brahmas.[24] He was released from his contract on September 27, 2023.[25]

Pittsburgh Steelers (second stint)

On September 27, 2023, Wing was signed to the Steelers practice squad.[26] He was elevated to the active roster on September 30 after Steelers starting punter Pressley Harvin was ruled out with an injury, marking Wing's first NFL game since the 2017 season.[27] After two games with the team, Wing was released on October 9.[28] Wing re-signed to the practice squad on January 10.[29]

References

  1. ↑ Australians Jesse Williams and Brad Wing making impact in US college football, dailytelegraph.com.au
  2. 1 2 3 Low, Chris (9 November 2011). "Wing has a few more 'G'days' in him". SEC Blog. ESPN.com. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Cacciola, Scott (18 November 2011). "An Aussie Who Rules at Football". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
  4. 1 2 3 The CUFBOYS Show #4 - BRAD WING (FORMER NFL PUNTER), retrieved 5 December 2021
  5. ↑ "Brad Wing Stats". ESPN.com. Retrieved 30 November 2011.
  6. ↑ After all the buildup, Game of Century decided by ... kickers, sportsillustrated.cnn.com
  7. ↑ Scott Threlkeld/The Times-Picayune. "LSU punter Brad Wing pays for early celebration vs. Florida". NOLA.com. Retrieved 29 September 2012.
  8. ↑ "Bowl Subdivision (FBS) National Team Report: Punt Return Yardage Defense". NCAA. 17 December 2011. Retrieved 20 December 2011.
  9. 1 2 "LSU's Reid, Simon, Wing, Ware headed to NFL draft". Yahoo! Sports. Associated Press. 4 January 2013. Retrieved 5 January 2013.
  10. ↑ Mosher, Geoff (27 April 2013). "Eagles sign nine rookie free agents following draft". Comcast SportsNet Philadelphia. Archived from the original on 29 April 2013. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
  11. ↑ McPherson, Chris (25 August 2013). "Jamar Chaney Among Initial Cuts". PhiladelphiaEagles.com. Retrieved 25 August 2013.
  12. ↑ "Responsibility for loss goes beyond defense". heraldstandard.com.
  13. ↑ "Aussie Makes NFL History". triplem.com.au. 5 November 2014. Retrieved 10 October 2016.
  14. ↑ Orr, Conor (4 September 2015). "Giants trade for Brad Wing, cut Steve Weatherford". NFL.com. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  15. ↑ Eisen, Michael (11 July 2016). "Giants sign Punter Brad Wing to contract extension". Giants.com. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  16. ↑ Dragon, Tyler (11 July 2016). "Brad Wing signs 3-year, $6.45M extension with Giants". NFL.com. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  17. ↑ Lam, Quang M. (14 December 2016). "Le'Veon Bell, Rodgers among NFL Players of the Week". NFL.com.
  18. ↑ Lewis, Edward (21 December 2016). "Devonta Freeman, Moore among NFL Players of Week". NFL.com.
  19. ↑ "Giants terminate contract of Punter Brad Wing". Bet IT Best Sportnachrichten. Retrieved 22 January 2019.
  20. ↑ Eisen, Michael (10 March 2018). "Giants terminate contract of Punter Brad Wing". Giants.com. Archived from the original on 10 March 2018. Retrieved 10 March 2018.
  21. ↑ Munz, Jason (7 December 2018). "Zach Mettenberger and Christian Hackenberg view AAF, Express as chance to prove themselves". The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
  22. ↑ Munz, Jason. "Zach Mettenberger and Aaron Murray go back a ways. They'll cross paths again Sunday". The Commercial Appeal. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
  23. ↑
    1. NoExtraPoints [@NoExtraPoints]. "Memphis Express have waived QB Kevin Burke, DB Seisay Mohammed, P Josh Jasper and starting P Brad Wing to clear room #aaf" Twitter, 27 February 2019, https://twitter.com/noextrapoints/status/1100807799385264128
  24. ↑ "Draft Central". XFL.
  25. ↑ "XFL Transactions". XFL.com. Retrieved 25 December 2023.
  26. ↑ Kozora, Alex (27 September 2023). "Steelers Sign P Brad Wing To Practice Squad". Steelers Depot. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
  27. ↑ Bailey, Jarrett. "Brad Wing set to make NFL return after six-year absence". Behind the Steel Curtain. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
  28. ↑ Varley, Teresa. "Steelers Make Roster Moves". Steelers.com. Retrieved 10 October 2023.
  29. ↑ Varley, Teresa. "Steelers sign Wing to practice squad". steelers.com. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
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